Accident Overview
An airplane struck a grove of trees and impacted terrain in a near-vertical attitude, just below a state highway, at the 9,186-foot level. Two witnesses reported seeing a low-flying airplane that was "barely clearing the trees." One witness said the airplane's wheels were about "20 to 50 feet above the trees" and observed the airplane bank south. The witness lost sight of the airplane as he rounded a bend in the road.
Pilot and Terrain Familiarity
According to the pilot's flight instructor, the pilot and he had flown this route numerous times. Both the pilot and the instructor were familiar with the terrain and the mountain pass. According to the Albuquerque Sectional Chart, the summit of the pass is approximately 10,000 feet msl.
Engine and GPS Data
Engine disassembly revealed no discrepancies. Data downloaded from a Garmin GPSMAP 195 recovered from the wreckage revealed the airplane had been cruising between 100 and 125 mph. According to the NTSB's GPS Specialist's factual report, "The airplane began to slow gradually after passing over Rt. 518. This road lies in the center of a broad north-south oriented valley. The airplane had slowed to approximately 74 mph by the time it reached the coordinates of the last recorded GPS tracklog point. The airplane maintained a near straight line course during this time" and was "entering an area of rising terrain." Information concerning aircraft altitude was not available because the GPSMAP 195 does not calculate and record GPS altitude.